VoiceXML Solutions & Tools

1. VoiceXML Solutions & Tools A Vendor Perspective for NMS Developers Kristen Axline, Director of Business Development, Edify David Asher, Director of Product Marketing, NMS

2. Agenda • VoiceXML Overview — Edify • Customer benefits • Developer benefits • Industry benefits • A smooth transition to VoiceXML — NMS • VoiceXML Tools and Applications — Edify

3. Why VoiceXML Matters • Voice has always been an extension of the enterprise application and data infrastructure • Voice self-service replicates information and transaction functionality from environments such as Siebel and SAP • Proprietary technology is an obstacle to evolution • Restricts knowledge base (tools, training and technique don’t cross vendor lines) • Thwarts “best-in-class” multi-vendor approach to solutions • Development standards promote evolution • Nurtures breadth and depth in skills that are reusable and transferable • Supports robust “mix-and-match” solutions with most precise fit-to-purpose Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

4. Customer Benefits of VoiceXMLThe Enterprise Voice Portal VoIP PSTN • Application quantity and quality • Less platform dependence, less repeat engineering = more time for net-new • Applications can be evergreen and mature over time (vs. forklift end-of-life) • Vendor choice • Quality and fit (+ price & relationship) drive decision • Proprietary lock-ins or lock-outs become irrelevant • Self-sufficiency & on-demand service creation • Customers can acquire and leverage voice skills • Understanding encourages Edify or 3rd Party VoiceXMLBrowser VoiceXML 3rd Party Applications (eg Apptera, Datria, ScanSoft) Edify Voice Application Server App Modeler & Runtime 3rd Party Tools (eg Audium, Fluency, ScanSoft, TuVox, VoiceObjects) Edify Custom Speech Applications & Components (e.g .,ABN Amro, BMW, DHL, GE, Sears, SONY, Ticketmaster) Edify Commercial Applications & Components (e.g., Edify Voice Banking, Edify Product Support, Edify Call Routing, Edify Entity Locator) Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

5. Developer Benefits of Voice XMLReusable Skills & Applications TELEPHONY INTERFACE (VoiceXML Browser) Any VoiceXML browser from Edify, Genesys, InterVoice, Voice Genie or Others Any VoiceXML tool and application VoiceXML Third Party Applications (Apptera, Flexpaks OSDMs or SpeechPaks, Third Party Tools (Audium, Tuvox, Voice Objects, etc.) • One skill set drives all VOICE APPLICATIONS — regardless of browser, app or tool vendor • We need more and better voice applications to meet mainstream demand and strong growth • Convergence is an opportunity to demonstrate your unique value and domain expertise — voice apps aren’t web apps . . . And telephony skills still matter Edify’s Packaged Applications (Edify Voice Banking) Edify Voice Studio and Voice Application Server Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

6. Web Elements Voice Elements Thin Client GUI Extends Reach of IS Network Delivery Applications Business Logic Backend Integration Development Standards Thin Client VUI Extends Reach of IS Network Delivery Applications Business Logic Backend Integration Development Standards Industry Benefits of VoiceXMLLeverage Data & Web to Build Voice Channel • The voice channel has the potential to transform business the way that the web did • Voice remains the most natural human interface — and the most preferred • Massive enterprise network infrastructure exists — and voice can leverage it fully Web & Voice: Naturally Aligned and Complimentary Extend information systems to include both voice and the web to improve productivity, lower costs and increase user and customer satisfaction. Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

7. A Smooth Transition from Where You Are Today Getting To VoiceXML www.nmscommunications.com

8. A Big Step? • VoiceXML can be a totally new experience • New products, new markets • Or — an extension to your existing application • Add new functionality, faster • Make fast changes to deployed applications • Allow for customer and third-party extensions • Transition to new rapid development tools • Offer open standards to your customers • Incorporate multimedia (video + audio) www.nmscommunications.com

9. Sample Code — Dialog Design Source: Speech Objects, VoiceXML White Paper Nuance Communications, 2000 www.nmscommunications.com

10. VoiceXML Version VoiceXML Field Name Play Prompt Grammar to Load, and Type Load Next VoiceXML Document Sample Code — VoiceXML Script Source: Speech Objects, VoiceXML White Paper Nuance Communications, 2000 www.nmscommunications.com

11. Your Application Today… Application (today) API NCC (ISDN) Natural Access + Fusion PCI PSTN T1/E1 NMS CG Board www.nmscommunications.com

12. Your Application + VoiceXML Application+VoiceXML Vision VoiceXML Server VoiceXML RTP SIP API NCC (SIP) NCC (ISDN) Natural Access + Fusion PCI PSTN T1/E1 NMS CG Board www.nmscommunications.com

13. Natural Call Control + VoiceXMLSample Call Flow, Simplified Application Natural Access + NCC VoiceXML Server nccAnswerCall (ISDN) ISDN Call Traditional Application Processing Decision: Switch to VoiceXML nccPlaceCall (SIP) SIP INVITE Build Fusion GW Channel RTP Connection New VoiceXML Application Processing SIP BYE NCC: CALL DISCONNECTED (SIP) Tear Down Fusion Channel Traditional Application Processing NCC: CALL DISCONNECTED (ISDN) ISDN Call Hangup www.nmscommunications.com

14. Getting Started • www.nmscommunications.com • Software downloads — free evaluation software • SIP gateway sample code • www.voxbuilder.com • Public service — tutorials, free and paid hosting for your first VoiceXMLprogram www.nmscommunications.com

15. VoiceXML isn’t Perfect Yet, But You Should Still be On-Board • Early days yet — 2.0 is current standard • More examples every day, but still not enough to form a clear picture of best practices • Standard is defined but immature (2GL will mature to 4GL) • Backend integration is not addressed • Voice applications are an extension of backend application and data, NOT the telephony infrastructure • Hand-written Java connectors are typically not reusable — which is contrary to a principal value of VoiceXML • Like web, often part but not all of the code base • E.g., more C++ than Java on the web even today • Markup language is only a piece of the whole — content and work is still on the development side, whether it’s web or voice Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

16. VOICE SERVICES CHALLENGES DEPLOY, MODIFY AND EXTEND • Separate data, process & flow so each can flexibly evolve • Single collaborative environment for designers, developers & administrators with a “view” for each role to enable • Balance of “quality and speed” supported by tools that promote reuse and structure VOICE USER INTERFACE DESIGN APPLICATION FLOW AND FUNCTIONAL ARCHITECTURE CREATE DATA AND PROCESS OBJECTS BUSINESS LOGIC AND PROCESS INTEGRATION • Consistent reusable access to applications and data infrastructure • Data transformation for usability across application structure • Heterogeneous technology silos with key data across IT infrastructure DATA TRANSFORMATION SERVICES FOR USE OF DATA IN APPLICATION CONNECT TO DATA SOURCES AND GATHER DATA Enterprise Voice Applications Design, Development & Deployment

17. What to Look for in a Tool • Web affinity that doesn’t come at the expense of voice quality • vi, jsp, asp and notepad are great for static “Hello World”, but no substitute for real voice application design technology • VoiceXML is marginally addressed in web tools today — but stay tuned because this is the evolution this decade • Reusability across platforms and projects • Cross-platform access is a fundamental value of VoiceXML — without it, it’s just a nicer way to stay proprietary • Cross-project is the only way to build a rich library of functional components • Best practices • Built on the experience of actually doing the job, not interest in tools as ends themselves Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

18. Contact Center • Last bastion of metered usage based on huge sunk costs • Saving seconds means lower costs to operate the call center and higher caller satisfaction through better service • VoiceXML goes hand-in-hand with speech • Save seconds by updating touchtone applications with speech to flatten menus and save time • Add call routing to save more time and improve caller satisfaction even further Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

19. Self-Service HR • Already a significant market for Edify, standards-based applications and hosting options will make it easier for companies of any size to adopt this technology • Not just healthcare and retirement accounts — password reset, a mundane but chronic problem, can be automated within this solution • SBC . . . • Voice transactions are immune to viruses and phishing — and readily available technology such as speaker verification can make eavesdropping unproductive • Employees at every skill level have telephone access — and employers who limit on-the-job internet access can still enjoy the productivity and cost-savings benefits of a self-serve system Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

20. Guys in Trucks with Cell Phones • Field service continues even in the automated world we live in • Complex back-end applications built on Oracle, SAP and other enterprise technologies drive the logic of field service . . . But training costs for the field staff are prohibitive (and so are the client devices needed to use these applications), so transcription of paper persists • Voice applications make it easy for field service reps to use cheap cell phones with cheap plans to communicate directly with complex backend systems to obtain and file tickets without costly training or middle-man transcription Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

21. A Little About Edify • A leading (NMS=based ☺) speech solution since 1992 • Only independent Gartner Top Right supplier • 2,000+ deployments worldwide • Open standards on proven technology  high RE-USE • Robust platform (VXML 2.0 certified) • Tools (design & development), • Packaged applications • Design and development skills  comprehensive • For details see www.edify.com Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

22. VOICE SERVICES CAPABILITIES DEPLOY, MODIFY AND EXTEND VOICE USER INTERFACE DESIGN APPLICATION FLOW AND FUNCTIONAL ARCHITECTURE CREATE DATA AND PROCESS OBJECTS BUSINESS LOGIC AND PROCESS INTEGRATION DATA TRANSFORMATION SERVICES FOR USE OF DATA INAPPLICATION INTEGRATE TO DATA SOURCES AND GATHER DATA Edify Voice Studio Enterprise Speech Applications Development “The release of Voice Studio has just made speech application development faster, and more efficient. Through collaboration, code reuse, and easy modifications, Voice Studio allows companies to build high quality, high value voice and speech self service applications that callers will love – and that can be quickly modified to respond to changing needs now and in the future.” Mitch Mandich, President and CEO of Edify

23. Edify Voice Studio Architecture • Reuse and change management • Build objects once, re-use many times, and modify and extend quickly and easily • Evergreen, high-quality, high-value voice self-service applications • Application and data integration • Integrates seamlessly with any application and data source • Backward chaining • Speed through collaboration • Developers, designers, project managers and administrators work together from the outset • Simultaneous execution means faster time to solution Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

24. Edify Voice Studio Special NMS Developer Offer • A hosted site for developer partners will be introduced in mid-December • No software or hardware to purchase and install • Great way to get hands-on experience with VoiceXML, Salt and Edify • Web-based training — a requirement to obtain access to the site — will be available in mid-November • A special offer for developers who attend this session is free access to the training and a 90-day subscription to the hosted site • Please register by visiting : http://www.edify.com/marketing/nms_devcon_tool_hosting_offer_registration.cfm Y O U S P E A K. W E D E L I V E R.

25. Questions?Contact Info:kristen.axline@edify.comdavid_asher@nmss.com